Western Approach to Zen

by Christmas Humphreys

Satori is a stage along the way, a gateless gate that must be entered on the path to enlightenment. With profound inspiration and consummate compassion, the founder of the Buddhist Society in London invites serious students of spiritual evolution to use Western techniques to achieve satori, the experience of unity and divinity in all aspects of being. Humphreys refocuses the wisdom of Zen for the Western reader and illuminates the arduous path to enlightenment.

Genres: Zen, Spirituality, Buddhism, Nonfiction, Philosophy

212 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Travers Christmas Humphreys, QC was an English barrister who prosecuted several controversial cases in the 1940s and 1950s, and later became a judge at the Old Bailey. He also wrote a number of works on Mahayana Buddhism and in his day was the best-known British convert to Buddhism.

Reviews

[Wu Shih · Rating 4 out of 5]

Restano i pilastri dello Zen ma appunto sono filtrati dalla coscienza occidentale. O meglio, da quella dell'autore: Humphreys auspica una rilettura dello Zen, che si fondi in maniera armonica alla visione europea. Come del resto fece il Chan arrivando in Giappone. Non dimentichiamoci che si tratta dell'uomo che nel 1924 fondò a Londra la Buddhist Society, ad oggi la più antica e vasta organizzazione buddhista in Europa.
Interessante ma preferisco testi più ispirati.

[Reminiscence · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hoping for more bean curd to chew, though this felt at least like an introduction to Zen living in a supposed Western sense, whatever that means.

[Greg Bowman · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was my first book of Zen concepts that asks the question - does the traditional koan method work for western practitioners? For that and for the insights gathered during his experience of teaching in the west, I think this is well worth a read.

It is interesting to consider whether the common western concept of a personal diety have many of us starting our journey from a different place where the unsupervised use of traditional koans may be counter productive or even harmful. This strikes me as being akin to self-prescribing the wrong medicines, which while working for some leave others worse.